BANGALORE, January 2, 2014: Travel time between Peenya and Swastik theatre in Malleswaram, close to Majestic, will soon be drastically reduced, from the present 60 minutes by bus during peak hours, to about 20 minutes when the metro begins operations.
During the recently concluded oscillation and emergency braking distance trials conducted by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) operated metro trains at 90 kmph on this stretch, which makes up reaches 3A and 3B of Namma Metro.
BMRCL managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola said, “We reached Sampige Road metro station [behind Swastik theatre] in just eight minutes. With nine one-minute stops en route nine metro stations and the permissible commercial speed [which will be less than the actual maximum speed], the journey is likely to take about 18 to 20 minutes.”
Mr. Kharola told The Hindu that RDSO personnel did not seek further clarification and felt they were satisfied with the trials. They might take about two weeks to consolidate the test results and issue the speed certificate, paving the way for the safety trials by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety, he said.
BMRCL is hopeful of commencing commercial services by this month-end or February first week if everything goes as planned, Mr. Kharola added.
Although commuters can reach Swastik in 20 minutes from Peenya, getting to Majestic from there will not be as quick or easy. With existing traffic bottlenecks, it might take another 20 minutes to reach Majestic, the present public transport hub of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation and the Railways, which is just about 800 m from Swastik.
BMTC managing director Anjum Parvez said the corporation was not planning to introduce any feeder services connecting metro stations with the bus network.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B. Dayananda told The Hindu that BMRCL authorities were yet to approach the Bangalore traffic police on the issue. “As and when they approach us, we will devise plans,” he said.
